I’m a white female, rising 8th, 99 average in advanced classes, 3-time debate team award winner (one championship, one top speaker), incoming School VP, three sports (hoops,XC,softball) AAU basketball player (have already been assured starting position on a prep school JV basketball team if I choose to attend) free-throw shooting district champion, sports cable TV essay contest finalist, math league competitor. Just started SSAT prep, scoring in low 70s.
Looking at Exeter, Andover, Choate, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville and possibly Taft, Miss Porter’s and Peddie.
You are very well rounded and have good grades, but with an SSAT score in the low 70’s, you’ll be extremely disadvantaged. Make sure you devote any time you have to studying for the SSAT to bring that up. I don’t know how you are in terms of writing or interviewing, but I think that’s going to be the most important factor for you in the end. Work hard on any spot in the application that allows you to express yourself. Your resume is good, but it alone won’t get you in. Make sure your essays, interviews, and any fill-in-the-blanks help make your application stand out. Think about things to say that nobody else could think of; that only your name could be written at the top of.
Everything seems great, but you’ll definitely need to increase your SSAT score. I know students at Exeter who got 80th percentile on the SSAT, but those are rare cases and they often have a huge advantage (being a sports recruit, legacy, not needing financial aid, etc)
If you’re considering Miss Porter’s, you should probably also check out Emma Willard, Westover, Ethel Walker, etc. There are a lot of excellent schools where you’d thrive and might have a better chance at admission. Is there a reason you aren’t considering Millbrook, Governors, Gunnery, or Berkshire?
Thanks, Calimex! I sat down with my mom and we looked at Millbrook, Governors, Gunnery, and Berkshire after you mentioned them. I did a report on Jackie Kennedy last year in Social Studies so that’s how I knew about Porter’s. I wanted at least one girls’ school on my list. I also added Emma Willard & Ethel Walker to my list.
With an SSAT in the low 70s you have almost no chance at Andover, Exeter or Choate etc. There are just too many applicants with top scores and the workload at these schools can be intense–the SSAT helps them determine if you can do the work.
My understanding is that your SSAT scores are from practice tests. Low 70s is a decent start if just getting acquainted with the SSAT. I think that with regular scheduled practice tests, you will score in the 80s which should increase your chances of admission.
You are a very well rounded applicant with academic, athletic & debate accomplishments. You have targeted enough boarding schools to expect to receive some good news if you apply to all nine schools.
@springfield18 , are you exceptionally strong in one of your three sports? If so, I would reach out to the coaches via email at your top picks. If you are a recruited (flagged) athlete, it can help with admissions to offset SSAT scores. Sounds like they are just practice tests, though. Keep up the prepping. I am sure it will help greatly when the actual test time comes. Best of luck!